Venture-backed luxury sneaker brand Koio has drafted a shoe designed to biodegrade.
On Friday, the brand introduced its Mello sneaker, which claims to be 99 percent biodegradable in a compost environment despite a strobel board, backer and thread, which will take longer to break down.
Still, the brand continues to make sustainability strides. In the past few years, Koio has launched collaborations with singer Joe Jonas and Young Chicago Authors, a youth arts and literature organization in Chicago. This latest shoe trails the launch of the Capri sneaker in 2021, a sneaker made with leather sourced from regenerative farms in the Swiss Alps, and is said to mark a continuation of the brand’s commitment to helping restore the Earth’s ecosystems.
Johannes Quodt, Koio cofounder, spoke to WWD on the delicate nuances in the shoe. “We use water-soluble non-toxic glue. We’re still working on finding a natural alternative that holds up to the demands of a decade of wear.”
Mello’s footwear specs are as follows: a biodegradable insole (composed of a blend of corn, wool and jute substitute from the kenaf plant), a 100 percent Lactae Hevea sole and outsole (which is a branded innovation named after the hevea tree milk from which it’s sourced, made in France sans-machinery), organic cotton laces and Leather Working Group-certified leather lining. The upper boasts Zeolite mineral (alumina and silica-based) technology, which is a aldehyde-free and heavy metal-free tanning method.
Available in both men’s and women’s sizing, the Mello is available exclusively for $495 at Koio.co beginning Friday.